When Matt Alexander created Illumi Bowl, he didn’t think he’d be quitting school and selling over $1 million worth of his product. He had an idea to light the way for late night bathroom visits and he made it a reality, with the help of over $95,000 he raised on Kickstarter. Illumi Bowl is a motion activated light that illuminates your toilet bowl in a rainbow of colors through a small LED light. It effectively eliminates the mess that arises from taking a shot in the dark. Matt, and his brother-in-law Michael Kannely, hope to illuminate the Sharks and the world when they pitch their product in episode 727.
As inventions go, this one is pretty simple: it’s a motion detector switch attached to a small LED light. Matt probably didn’t anticipate the response, but people everywhere seem to love it. At $19.99 on Amazon, it won’t break the bank either. The first production run had some defects, so Matt got a crash course in dealing with Chinese manufacturers when he went over there to oversee production. Apparently the kinks were worked out, but he’s probably in the Tank to get some help with that side of the business.
My Take on Illumi Bowl
I have taken the midnight walk to the bathroom, turned on the light and been blinded. It sucks. If I leave the light off, I assume a seated position! I think this is a nifty gadget. The soft lighting and inherent “target” would end bathroom blindness and shots in the dark.
My one concern is keeping it clean, but bathrooms aren’t on my household chore list, so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. My other concern is if it activates while puking, will the colored lighting create a more nauseating mess? Those are small concerns when you figure the messes that will be avoided. I think it’s fun and it’s only twenty bucks. For that reason, I’m in.
Will Sharks see the Light?
Sales trumps all in the Shark Tank and a million in sales ought to be enough to get the Sharks interested. If the product has a patent, it will be even more attractive. I predict multiple bids on this product with Lori ultimately doing a deal.
